The Spruce / Fiona Campbell
Do plants cry?
Water drops on plants can be due to transpiration, dew, or guttation.
The easiest way to stop the water droplets: Cut back on how much you water your plants.
The Spruce / Fiona Campbell
Leaves drip when they have as much moisture as they can hold.
During humidity spikes, most plants will not need as much water as they usually would.
You won’t see a flood of water, just a droplet or two on the tips.
The Spruce / Fiona Campbell
Let your plants be your guide, and adjust the water you give them.
The amount of water a plant needs changes throughout the year.
What Causes Dew Droplets?
The Spruce / Fiona Campbell
Water droplets will collect on the leaves if it’s humid or dewy.
You’ll notice it generally occursin the summer, especially if windows are open.
Dew is sparked by cooler air that can’t hold as much water vapor as warmer air.
As the temperature drops, the condensation rate exceeds the evaporation rate, and water droplets form.
This sap is often mistaken for water, but it’s water plus nutrients or minerals.
Guttation is nature’s way of restoring the balance between the plant’s nutrients and water content.
This phenomenon often occurs at night because the stomata or regular pores used in transpiration are closed.
The plant closes its stomata to preserve its water for photosynthesis during the day.
Even though water lost to guttation contains minerals and sugars, the losses don’t affect the plant negatively.
Sometimes they can adapt to conditions indoors, and sometimes they can’t.
In most cases, guttation will not harm a plant.
Guttation is usually a sign of an over-watered plant since the saturated roots pressure the rest of the plant.
This pressure forces the plant to exude its excess moisture (and nutrients) in the form of sap.
Cut back on watering, and your plant should stop releasing sap.
Do Water Droplets on Indoor Plants Indicate a Problem?
Water droplets on indoor plants do not inherently indicate a problem.
This is a normal function that many species of common houseplants will exhibit when watered properly.
This is especially the case for cacti and succulents.
Guttation is not automatically a sign of overwatering.
This is a normal part of the plant’s process.
The signs of dehydration and overwatering vary from plant to plant.
With tropical vines, droopy leaves can be a sign of both issues.
The droplets pose no danger to the plant.
Guttation.University of Missouri Environment Extension
